Dolphin Tours in Panama City Beach
Imagine cruising over the Gulf of Mexico on a boat or jet ski alongside a pod of bottlenose dolphins. The salty breeze is blowing through your hair, the sun is shining, and all's right with the world as you find adventure along the coast beside these marine creatures.
One of the top things to do in PCB is a dolphin tour. Choose from one of the many local outfitters and set out on a daytime or evening sightseeing tour, exploring St. Andrews Bay and the clear waters around Shell Island. You don’t have to stay on the watercraft. Some excursions add snorkeling time to the itinerary for a quintessential Gulf Coast experience.
Boatloads of Fun
Dolphin boat tours in Panama City Beach range from half-day to full-day excursions and private or public outings. Most dolphin tours are limited in number, making for a more intimate and relaxing experience. You can interact with the tour captain, cruise comfortably, and get close enough to the dolphins to take plenty of photos and videos.
Outfitters like Dolphin and Snorkel Tours offer public and private charters. Add a snorkeling tour to your water adventure. Private charters may be booked for up to eight hours and can accommodate up to six guests. Public tours are typically three hours long. Blue Dolphin Tours provides a public (two hours) and a private tour (two to four hours). Most boats can accommodate up to six guests. The large family Blue Dolphin cruise can fit 15. Water Planet Dolphin Swim Tours offers both dolphin swim tours and sunset cruises, as well as a variety of swim programs.
Local outfitters typically provide snorkeling gear on excursions.
Large groups may enjoy the bright-yellow, 73-foot Sea Screamer, offering day and sunset cruises. Each two-hour tour includes a 10-mile ride along the coast and dolphin sightseeing. If you’re bringing kids along, they may get a chance to help the captain steer the boat.
Jet Ski Adventures
Want to feel the ocean’s spray as you zip across the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico in search of dolphins? Join a WaveRunner dolphin tour with Adventures at Sea, where you’ll ride on a Jet Ski alongside a guide who will show you all the cool spots. Even if you’re never ridden on a Jet Ski before, you can learn quickly from an experienced guide before leaving the docks. Adventures at Sea also offers a dolphin boat cruise to Shell Island.
Make reservations ahead of time with any local company as spots may be limited. Soon enough, you won’t be imagining but actually experiencing PCB alongside dolphins.
See below for more dolphin tour listings.